Unlicensed Lanarkshire dog boarders banned

A Lanarkshire couple have each been given two-year ban on owning animals after keeping dogs in an ‘extremely’ unsafe environment while running an unlicensed animal boarding business.

Gary and Eden Hopkins were sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to breaching animal welfare legislation.

A Scottish SPCA Inspector attended the Hopkins’ residence on July 2025 after one of their clients made a call of concern to the society’s Animal Helpline. The client’s lurcher, Monty, had returned limping, with huge open sores on his legs, and saturated in urine. A veterinary examination showed Monty’s hocks had infected wounds and been drastically swollen for several days.

The Inspector attended the property along with Police Scotland officers and found seven dogs in the kitchen, stacked in cages that were falling apart and had no bedding. The room was extremely warm, and they were panting heavily.

The Inspector said: “I was absolutely shocked at what we saw and the conditions they we kept in. The dogs were petrified and cowering away. They had tried to cram as many dogs as possible into each cage.

“One cage had a Doberman, and a Collie so badly confined their legs were tightly intertwined and they couldn’t move at all. The base of their cage was wet and sticky, and they had no access to water.

“Stacked on top, was another small cage containing a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The dog’s head, nose and tail were touching the bars on all sides, he had no space to stand and turn.

“Another cage held four dogs. The environment was completely unsuitable, and it was horrific to see.”

When released from their cages, they were erratic and passed copious amount of urine, indicating that they had been left in the cage for a long period of time, the SPCA added.

The dogs were removed from the property and taken to a Scottish SPCA centre for further care. Six dogs were returned to their owners and the remaining one, a pug named Bella that belonged to the Hopkins, was kept for ongoing treatment and later signed into the care of the society.

The Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “Both showed complete disregard for the dogs in their care, causing them and their owners, significant distress and suffering. They showed they cannot responsibly take care of their own dog, let alone run a dog boarding business.

“While we welcome the sentencing, we are concerned that without a longer-term ban, they will go on to get other animals and subject them to similar circumstances.”

Gary Hopkins was also handed a 60-day Restriction of Liberty Order, and his wife Eden Hopkins was sentenced to 160 hours of unpaid work.

The Scottish SPCA is calling for a National Animal Offenders Register, which it says is crucial to prevent future harm and tackle repeat offending.